Herring Gull
Larus argentatus smithsonianus, or Larus smithsonianus


The American Herring Gull ranges far and wide across most of the North American continent. Breeding occurs throughout most of Canada and Alaska. Herring Gulls usually drink freshwater, but they can drink seawater if they must. Special glands allow them to excrete the salt. The American Ornithologists’ Union regards this bird as a subspecies of the Herring Gull (Larus argentatus smithsonianus), but following a 2002 study, other authorities, such as the Association of European Rarities Committees and British Ornithologists’ Union, now recognize it as a separate species (Larus smithsonianus). Under the taxonomies accepted outside of the USA, the Herring Gull complex is defined as American Herring Gull, European Herring Gull, Vega Gull, Armenian Gull, Caspian Gull, and Yellow-Legged Gull. The debate over the taxonomy of this clan of gulls has not been settled, but included in the discussion are:
- American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) or (L. a. smithsonianus) breeds in North America from Aleutians and the southern coast of Alaska, across Canada to the Maritime Provinces, and south in the eastern USA to North Carolina. They spend winters south to Central America.
- European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) or (L. a. argenteus) [AOU only classification] breeds in Iceland, Faeroes, the British Islands, western France to W Germany. They spend winters south to northern Iberia (Spain and Portugal).
- European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) or (L. a. argentatus) [AOU only classification] breeds in Denmark and Scandinavia to the eastern Kola Peninsula. They spend winters mostly in northern and western Europe.
- Vega Gull (Larus vegae) or (L. a. vegae) breeds in northeastern Siberia and spends winters south to Japan, Korea, and southeastern China.
- Armenian Gull (Larus armenicus) or (L. a. armenicus) is found in the Caucasus and in the Middle East.
- Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans) or (L. a. cachinnans) breeds around the Black and Caspian Seas, and east across Central Asia to northwestern China.
- Yellow-Legged Gull (Larus michahellis) or (L. a. michahellis) is found in western and southern Europe, northwestern Africa, and the Mediterranean.
- Mongolian Herring Gull (L. a. mongolicus) breeds in southeastern Altai and Lake Baikal to Mongolia, northeastern China and Korea. They spend winters mostly in southern Asia.
I met my first Herring Gull in Whitehorse, Yukon (Canada) in 2005. I’ve since found them in at the Salton Sea in southeastern California, on the Texas Gulf Coast, and in Baja California (Mexico) while on a science expedition to Archipielago de Revillagigedo aboard the Shogun, when we stopped at Isla Margarita for a half day of science and explorations.

Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Near Lack and Lindsay Roads, Salton Sea NWR. Imperial County, Southern California. |
Date Taken: 2014:11:23 16:34 |
Location:
Fondo |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/6400 |
File Name: D3X1851-HerringGull |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Standing with two Ring-Billed Gulls near Lack and Lindsay Roads, Salton Sea NWR. Imperial County, Southern California. |
Date Taken: 2014:11:23 16:52 |
Location:
Fondo |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X1885-HerringGull |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertibrate Zoology in Camarillo, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:02 9:41 |
Location:
W F V Z |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/3 |
File Name: D3X4633-HerringGull |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertibrate Zoology in Camarillo, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:02 9:42 |
Location:
W F V Z |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/5 |
File Name: D3X4634-HerringGull |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertibrate Zoology in Camarillo, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:02 9:43 |
Location:
W F V Z |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/10 |
File Name: D3X4635-HerringGull |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertibrate Zoology in Camarillo, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:02 9:44 |
Location:
W F V Z |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/4 |
File Name: D3X4636-HerringGull |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:16 10:02 |
Location:
Whitehorse |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: JCD4629HerringGull |
© 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Alamo River Delta, Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:12:22 13:52 |
Location:
Fondo |
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/14.0, 1/800 |
File Name: JCD_2310HerringGull |
© 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Alamo River Delta, Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:12:22 14:33 |
Location:
Fondo |
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 400 mm, f/13.0, 1/640 |
File Name: JCD_2393HerringGull |
© 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Adult bird near Lack & Lindsey Roads. Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:10:13 15:39 |
Location:
Lack-And-Lindsey-Roads |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/4000 |
File Name: D3X4227-HerringGull |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Seen while visiting the Salton Sea along the south-eastern shoreline. Imperial County California. |
Date Taken: 2016:10:30 14:10 |
Location:
Salton Sea |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: HerringGull_D5D2635 |
© 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: This bird appears to be a 'First Winter' juvenile. Seen while visiting the Salton Sea along the south-eastern shoreline. Imperial County California. |
Date Taken: 2016:10:30 13:41 |
Location:
Salton Sea |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: HerringGull_D5D2079 |
© 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: First Winter bird near Lack and Lindsay Roads, Salton Sea NWR. Imperial County, Southern California. |
Date Taken: 2014:11:23 16:18 |
Location:
Fondo |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X1749-HerringGull-FirstWinter |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: On the Southeatern shore of the Salton Sea. Northwest of Brawley, California in Imperial County. |
Date Taken: 2017:01:17 7:17 |
Location:
Fondo |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: HerringGull_D5X3139 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Loafing on the beach with California Gulls. On land at Isla Margarita for a half day of science and explorations. Our fourth day of this expedition to Archipielago de Revillagigedo aboard the Shogun. |
Date Taken: 2017:02:12 15:45 |
Location:
La Curva |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 |
File Name: HerringGull-DarkEyed_D5X5857 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: Loafing on the beach with California Gulls. On land at Isla Margarita for a half day of science and explorations. Our fourth day of this expedition to Archipielago de Revillagigedo aboard the Shogun. |
Date Taken: 2017:02:12 16:04 |
Location:
La Curva |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 500 mm, f/7.1, 1/5000 |
File Name: HerringGull-DarkEyed_D5X5924 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: My third day of exploration of Aransas NWR was a memorable one. I boarded the tour boat the "Skimmer" and got schooled by Captain Tommy Moore on a three plus hour cruise of the back-bays and waterways beyond the view of the public from the tour roads on the reserve. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:17 10:44 |
Location:
Aransas NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: HerringGull_D503639-BoatRide-Aransas-NWR |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Herring Gull(Larus argentatus) |
Description: With Short-Billed Gull (formerly Mew Gull) at Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:16 10:20 |
Location:
Whitehorse |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/9.5, 1/350 |
File Name: JCD4682HerringGullShortBilledGull |
© 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |

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